


Claimed By You

by SykoShadowRose



Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Alicanto Clover, Alpha Taiyang Xiao Long, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Attempted Rape, Beta Clover Ebi, Bottom Clover Ebi, Bottom Qrow Branwen, Hybrid Clover, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Merman Qrow, Mytical Creatures, Non-Human Genitalia, Omega Qrow Branwen, Phoenix Clover, Sympathetic Betas, Top Taiyang Xiao Long, dragon Taiyang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:55:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28321977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SykoShadowRose/pseuds/SykoShadowRose
Summary: When Clover was caught and trapped, he thought he'd never be free. Then the fishermen made the mistake of trapping a merman and called a dragon down on the ship.
Relationships: Clover Ebi/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi/Taiyang Xiao Long, Qrow Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long
Series: Syko's 2020 Christmas Gift Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074167
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32
Collections: Merfolk Underwater and Above





	Claimed By You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ospreyx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ospreyx/gifts).



Clover shifted in his cage, clawed feet shuffling as he moved on the bars, aching wings spreading as much as they could in the confined space. He wished he could just bite through the metal and get himself free but his beak was meant for breaking apart precious metals and gems, not man-made iron. There were times when he wished his phoenix blood had been strong enough to fully mask his alicanto blood. He thought he’d been careful but apparently he hadn’t been careful enough. Somehow he’d been found out by the vessel of fishermen and had been trapped by the sailors hoping that his presence would bless them with more fish.

Sadly they were right, though thankfully they used some of the profit they turned to ensure he was (sparely) fed, using his colors to guess what he ate. The silver and gold were obvious enough but it had taken some time for them to realize the green and blue were from emeralds and sapphires. They made sure he had enough to survive but he knew he could do a better job of feeding himself if he were free.

There was a commotion on the port side of the ship, the men flocking to the rails and exclaiming excitedly. He wondered what was going on when one of the men lifted a harpoon. Perhaps they had netted a shark or a dolphin? The scream that caused a shock wave in the water around them told Clover more than he was expecting. His blood ran cold, feathers ruffling as he watched them reel in their catch. He already knew what would come over the railing.

Only a mythic would have that kind of effect on the water and only one mythic would get the fishermen worked up in such a frenzy. 

They had caught a merfolk.

He fluttered anxiously in his cage as more and more of the net was pulled in. Mers were worth more than any ten hauls of fish, especially if sold to the right collectors. They were highly prized for both their beauty and their ability to heal with their songs. Nobles often bought mers to display in aquariums in their oversized houses, so Clover at least had the comfort of knowing that any injury dealt would be minimal to avoid lowering the mer’s value.

When the men finally dropped their victim to the deck the first thing Clover notices was the glittering gem-like ruby scales. The second was that the mer was male and was holding his side where the harpoon had pierced his flesh, barely missing the gills on his ribs.

The wounded mer hissed and flipped his tail, knocking several of the sailors down and one of them overboard. The remaining men grabbed lasso poles to restrain the beautiful creature while a few others ran below deck to grab a carrying tank to keep the mer in. By the time they had gotten the male into the small (too small, his tail was curled back on him) tank and filled with water the man that had been knocked off of the ship had managed to climb back aboard.

The other sailors gave him a good-natured ribbing while they celebrated, setting the tank next to his cage. Glittering pale red eyes looked up at him through the glass and water. A webbed hand pressed against the side of the tank as the mer studied him, taking in the solid cage that was showing signs of rust for how long he’d been in it, the shackel that had been around his leg so long he thought he felt a groove from it rubbing against his skin, to the feathers that were flimsy and dull, clipped dangerously short just in case he managed to escape so he couldn’t fly away. The forming frown on the beautiful face told him that the mer easily recognized he’d been a long term prisoner on the ship. 

Clover took the time he was being examined to look closer at the merman.

His tail was long, possibly twice the length of his human torso or longer. The crystal, gem-like scales were a beautiful bright ruby color but the veil-like fins along it were a deeper maroon edged with black. He had two larger fins that fanned out around at his hips and a short fin that ran down the length of his spine. Smaller fins were spaced out along the length of his tail, likely meant to help him with maneuvering through the water while the ones on his hips and the large folded up tail fin propelled him. The small fins on his wrists and forearms were likely meant for steering as well, but Clover also thought they may have just been to look pretty for attracting a mate. The scattered scale jewels around his eyes and on his cheekbones brought out the soft red color of the eyes still watching him. The gills on his neck and ribs nearly blended with the rest of his pale skin save for the edges turning red like the tips of the gently finned ears nearly hidden by the raven hair.

The gash under the mer’s gills was still seeping blood into the water of the small tank so Clover, after checking that all the med were distracted or occupied, hopped as close as he could on his bar and leaned in, warbling out a small, quiet song from his phoenix blood to heal him. The sailors had no true idea of his phoenix blood, assuming that the peacock-like eyes of his tail feathers were due to his eating habits, and he prefered to keep it that way. The humans would assume that the mer had healed himself. Those jeweled eyes widened in surprise, the mer’s mouth dropping open slightly in shock as the skin knit itself back together. He bit down on his bottom lip with teeth sharper than what humans had before glancing around as Clover had moments ago. Once he was sure no one was paying them any attention he tried to signal something to Clover, though the angle and distortion from the water made it hard for him to decipher the message.

It looked like the mer was trying to tell him that they would be free soon, but how would that happen?

He got his answer soon enough when the watchout of the crow’s nest began shouting warnings. The sea surged and the ship rocked until something broke the surface with a roar that threatened to splinter the wood out from under them. He screeched in alarm before he realized the mer was smiling. His message from earlier made sense now. Whatever mythic had risen from the depth was here in response to the mer’s call when he’d been speared. Settling down at the understanding, he turned to look at what had come and squawked in surprise to see a large golden dragon head looming over the ship. Pale white gold spikes framed the fierce head and an orange fin ran down the serpentine neck as a mane. 

The huge blue eyes stared down at the ship, locking onto the mer’s tank with a furious snarl. The mer made a motion to him and he could feel the eyes on him like a physical weight. He felt as if he were being judged even though, logically, he knew the dragon was likely only taking in his pitiful condition. Which was apparently enough to upset the dragon even more as the beast reared back with another roar, sending the men into a panic.

Clover couldn’t blame them, almost felt sorry for them despite what they’d done to him and were planning to do to the merman. The dragon was just that terrifying as it rose up out of the water, one massive claw reaching for him and the mer. The bird felt his own heart race anxiously, the only thing keeping him even a little calm was the serene look on the ruby mer’s face as the claws closed around them and lifted up, taking them from the deck of the ship. Powerful wings unfurled, beginning to lift the scaled body into the air. Clover watched through the gaps of the grip holding him as a finned tail swung twice, completely destroying the ship that had been his prison for longer than he cared to remember.

The feel of the wind rushing through his feathers was a comfort he hadn’t had in far too long. Despite all his instincts telling him it was a bad idea, Clover found himself drifting off to sleep in his tiny cage. The wind was singing around him and the mer was completely at peace inside his tank. It was the last thing he saw before he drifted off into slumber.

~*~

Tai landed just inside the largest entrance to his caves, carefully hobbling inside with his precious cargo still in his claw. It wasn’t until he was safely in the main cavern and his protection wards were back up that he set down the two he held in his claw. Once both were steady on the ground he carefully used a claw to delicately rip the locks off the two prisons. Once the locks were off, Taiyang shifted down to his human form and pulled on a pair of shorts. He went over and helped Qrow lift the lid from the tank, pulling the merman out and setting him down on a chaise so he could dry off enough to shift.

The dragon was slightly surprised to see that the other mythic had fallen asleep inside the cage that was too small for him. He opened the door as quietly as he could to reach inside for the shackle around one leg. It was difficult to remove it quietly with the way the sea air had begun to rust the metal but he managed it somehow without waking the bird. By the time he’d finished Qrow had not only shifted and pulled on pants but had started gathering pillows and blankets to make a crude nest. Tai went over to help put together a nest for their guest, using what little knowledge he had of nest building. Dragon nests were quite different from bird nests but they made it work well enough. 

The nest completed, the dragon went back to the cage and shifted to a humanoid dragon that was large enough to lift and carry the six foot bird over to the nest-bed they had made for him. Gently setting the bird down, he stepped back and allowed Qrow to reach out to help settle him in. Pale fingers carded through the frail feathers, preening the mythic while he slept. The feathers were beautiful, silver and gold and blue and green, but they weren’t strong as they should be. The state of the mythic’s feathers was a solid indicator of just how badly treated he’d been in his captivity, though he supposed he wasn’t surprised.

Tai let Qrow do as he wished while he turned to dispose of the cage and tank. When he’d returned Qrow had apparently finished (and collected all the loose feathers) and had curled back up on the lounge to nap. The blond tucked a blanket around Qrow, bending down to breathe in his comforting scent. The omega merman smelled fine, though there was a hint of blood underneath his usual scent that Tai would question later. Standing back up, he turned to their guest.

The size of the bird and the pattern of the tail feathers told the dragon that there was at least some phoenix blood running through him. The mostly gold feathers with some silver edging told him of the alicanto blood in the mythic. The two bloods blended together smoothly with the eyes of his tail being blue and green and the tips of the cute little fluff of a crest on top of his head sharing the cool colors.

Tai took the other’s scent in, familiarizing himself with it so he wouldn’t get aggressive by accident as alphas sometimes did when an unknown mythic was in their territory near their intended mate. As he did he noticed something unique about the bird’s scent. There was a neutrality to it that indicated he was a beta but there was a shift in his scent when Tai got closer that hinted at something more. The avian mythic wasn’t a regular beta- he was a _sympathetic beta_. His kind were almost as rare as omegas were and had the gift of taking on traits opposite of their mates. 

If he was mated to a beta, sympathetic or otherwise, there would be no change to his behavior but if he were to bond with an alpha he would take on some omega traits just like he would take on some alpha traits if he claimed an omega. The fact that his scent was shifting due to the proximity of Qrow and himself meant that the golden bird was unclaimed either way. This rare mythic was unmated to anyone.

The dragon shook his head to clear it, shifting back down to his human form and heading to one of his hoard caves. He didn’t know what a phoenix would eat but he knew how to feed an alicanto and the one currently sleeping in his lair looked starved. Going by the coloring he believed gold was favored more than silver though he made sure to grab both, along with an assortment of blue and green gems for him to pick through. Once he woke they could ask what jewels he prefered to eat but for now, this would have to do. Tai placed the basket of treasure next to the nest where it couldn’t be missed and joined Qrow, crawling under the blanket to nap with them.

~*~

Teal eyes opened slowly, the realization that he was laying down and comfortable trickling into his awareness. He realized quickly he was no longer in the cage, instead he was in a rather rough but cozy nest of bedding he was honestly reluctant to leave after being forced to sleep upright for so long. What drew him out of the nest was the pure, sharp scent of precious metals and jewels calling to his hunger. He rose up enough to consume what was obviously left out for him, not in any condition to be picky about what he prefered to eat. It was after he was finally, blessedly full that two other things caught his attention.

The first was that someone had gone through the trouble of preening his feathers for him.

The second was that he wasn’t alone. The merman was sleeping nearby, a blond curled around him that he felt confident in assuming was the dragon who’d saved them. By their scents the mer was an omega and the dragon was an alpha, which explained a lot without words. If they weren’t already bonded, they were probably courting.

Clover shifted to his human form, stretching out muscles he hadn’t been able to use for far too long before he pulled one of the blankets over to cover his nakedness, curling back up to get some more rest now that it was safe to do so. He was a bit surprised that they hadn’t stuck him in a room to the side but then, it was possible they were merely concerned about his health given the condition he was in. Whatever the case, he wasn’t about to argue. 

~*~

Qrow woke with a stretch, feeling a faint twinge in his side where he’d been injured by the humans. Tai’s scent was all around him, keeping the memories from rising too much but there was a second scent that got his eyes open, looking over to the nest that they had put together for the mythic that had healed him. Soft red eyes flicked over, noticing at once that there was a handsome tanned brunette in the nest instead of the large gold and silver bird. Curious, he slid out of Tai’s arms, carefully so he didn’t wake the dragon in the process, and crept closer to get a better look at the man Tai had saved with him.

The first thing Qrow noticed was that the man was broad like Tai. Tanned too, though interestingly he was more bronze than gold the way Tai was. Brushing back a few strands of his crest that had fallen forward, Qrow pushed himself to his feet and made sure his dragon was properly tucked in. Once he knew that both were settled comfortably, he went to the area that they had converted to a human-like living space to make food for them to eat. The alicanto had already eaten, judging by the empty basket by the nest, but the merman knew he wasn’t a full blood (no alicanto had the ability to heal by song) and there was no way one meal would keep him full for long given how starved he’d been. Phoenix healed with their songs, just like mers did though. And they ate fruit if he remembered correctly.

The hard part was going to be making something that all three of them would eat.

~*~

Tai woke to the scent of food and the sound of cloth rustling nearby. Quickly rising, he was able to watch as the symp-beta tried to keep the blanket around him as he crawled out of the nest they had made for him. The brunette clung to one of the blankets, trying his best to keep it around his bare hips as he finally got to his feet and stood up. He was just a touch shorter than Tai, barely enough to be noticeable, and just as broad and muscled. Good. Meant that Tai’s clothes should fit him just fine.

Playing the part of a good host, the dragon left the room briefly while the bird was still fussing with his blanket. He returned quickly with a set of clothes to offer and found the other mythic looking around curiously, though he hadn’t wandered far from his nest. Tai cleared his throat, faltering slightly when those bright teal eyes jumped to him. Shaking his head just a bit to clear it, Tai offered the bundle of cloth.

“Here, these should fit. My name’s Tai by the way and the mer that was with you is Qrow.” He gave a small reassuring smile, not wanting to scare the other off. “You can use that smaller cave over there to change and when you’re done, you’ll find us down that tunnel.” He pointed to each location while he gave the directions and then stepped back, making his way to where Qrow was cooking.

He paused when the other spoke up, turning to listen to the hesitant speech. “I’m Clover… and… thank you.” He gave a nod and continued on his way, wondering how long it had been since the other had been able to take human form at talk properly. He put the thought out of his mind quickly. It would only piss him off to dwell on it.

~*~

Qrow half turned to smile at Tai when the blond entered the kitchen. His smile turned a little softer, a touch of a blush lighting his cheeks when the dragon came up behind him and rested both hands on his waist to press a kiss to his temple. He ducked his head, still getting used to the dragon’s affections. It had taken them some time to get so used to each other after he’d saved the dragon from his sister but he thought it was definitely worth it. Tai had upped his game though.

Just last month the blond had asked if he would allow him to bond him.

The idea was both thrilling and terrifying.

Thrilling because it would mean having a mate and starting a family. He’d never been the first picked between him and his twin. It was always Raven. She’d been born first, she was beautiful, and on top of the magic they carried from their mer blood, Raven had inherited traits from their siren grandmother, making her more dangerous than most mers.

It was terrifying because… well… Qrow had seen the dragon go into a panic rut once. Before he’d accidently walked in on Tai (and very quickly back out) he hadn’t been aware that dragons had two cocks or that they were ridged. The idea of trying to handle Tai on his own was a little daunting, a bit overwhelming, and _maybe_ it was his inclination towards shiny things but he was curious if the alpha would be interested in their guest possibly being more than just a guest.

It might be a bit quick to assume but he had liked the look of the symp-beta and if his behavior back on the ship was an indicator of his personality, he’d made a good addition to their family. He hadn’t needed to risk exposing himself as a phoenix after all, but he had anyways in order to heal Qrow. The mythic was just lucky that the human’s keeping him caged were lacking in knowledge or they may have figured out what he was. Unless they’d already known and weren’t sure of just how much of his phoenix power he could actually use.

Either way, the singing had been an unnecessary risk. Speaking of which…

“He healed me when the humans speared me.” Qrow explained softly when Tai’s hand brushed over the spot on his side. The scent of his blood would be strongest around the new skin and he knew it was the dragon’s way of silently asking about the wound that had been there. “He didn’t need to but he did.”

“Clover.” Tai closed his eyes, taking in Qrow’s scent to remind himself that the omega was fine. That the humans had been dealt with. “Our bird’s name is Clover.”

Qrow paused, looking over his shoulder at Tai with amusement. “ _Our bird?_ ”

“I fed him.” Tai pulled away to cross his arms defiantly, not looking the least bit sorry or sheepish. “He’s mine. And what’s mine is your’s.”

Qrow bit his lip, shoulders shaking as he held back his laugh. Leave it to the alpha. At least he knew that the dragon wasn’t against the symp-beta as a potential mate. Tai wouldn’t have claimed ownership so quickly or easily if he didn’t have an interest. Now they just had to hope the other male would be welcoming of their attention.

~*~

Clover entered the room to find the other two already sitting at the table waiting for him. He sat down at the place set out for him with a slight blush, touched and a bit overwhelmed that they were going so far out of their way to take care of him. He hadn’t really been given that kind of consideration before. Not even back when he’d been free and had been pursued by other mythics that knew what he was. He’d never understood how they could act like they were doing him a _favor_ by showing him interest but not even thinking to court him properly. At least, he was pretty sure these two had figured out what he was by now. He didn’t exactly have the herbs he needed to stay hidden and with each of them being what they were, his biology was bound to show itself. But they hadn’t said anything and he wondered if they would. Or if they’d keep silent until he said something.

He didn’t know which he’d prefer either.

The meal was spent with the alpha, Tai, telling him where everything was in case he needed something and also offering which caves were open for him to make his own if he so desired. To move his nest from the main room to whichever he picked if he wanted. Qrow had smiled and offered to help with decorating, or with building a new nest if the one they’d made was too messy. Clover had been quick to assure them both that the nest was _comfortable_ which meant more to him than how well made it was and that if they wanted to learn about it, he’d show them how to keep the nest he had but improve on it even more. Both had agreed, curious about the process since alphas didn’t nest in the same way and Qrow’s nests were usually underwater. 

~*~

Looking back on it Clover thought he should have known.

When neither Tai nor Qrow had mentioned him being a symp beta he had kept quiet, assuming that the courting pair didn’t want to get him involved. He should have realized the two who were kind enough, compassionate enough to take him in and care for him were only waiting for him to be healthy again before they approached him. To make sure he was ready and completely comfortable before they asked him. That they would want to give him the chance to get to know them more deeply before asking such a question of him, unlike so many who had only wanted him for what he was in the past. Ones who’d been willing to take what they wanted without asking him. 

Like the alpha roc that Tai was currently fighting to keep away from him.

The dragon had decided to come with him whenever he went flying, guarding him while he got his strength back and relearned how to fly after being confined for so long. He had been flying in the air while the dragon watched from below before the roc had swooped down from the clouds and tried to pin him against a cliff top. The roar Tai had let out had shaken the ground but it hadn’t shaken the roc who was still trying to trap him. It had been a huge relief when the weight had been lifted from him, the avian being flung off the cliff by a strike from Tai’s tail. He’d turned in time to see the dragon take off, meeting the other alpha in the air to battle. He watched them clash while he huddled against the rock he’d been pinned against, admiring the way Tai’s longer form twisted through the air to fight the roc off. 

He shivered as the large bird struggled to fly away, feathers burnt and torn from the dragon, as large blue eyes locked on him when Tai landed to check him over, breathing his scent in deeply to ensure he was unharmed. The bird allowed himself to be nudged along, back out to the edge so he could take off, flying tucked under the dragon’s wing as they made their way back to the lair. He dove into the water, arching down into the tunnel to the entrance. Thankfully Qrow had gifted him with the ability to breathe underwater, so he didn’t have to worry about running out of air before he surfaced on the other side. He shifted when he reached the shore, pushing his wet hair back with a hand while the water surged again and Tai came up. 

The dragon’s growl echoed through the large chamber, pricking at Clover’s skin and he turned to face the looming form. Rapid footsteps behind him signalled Qrow’s arrival, the omega coming to investigate what had their dragon so riled up. He felt the slender male coming beside him, refusing to take his eyes off the bristled alpha and heard a soft, small “oh” from Qrow. He had a feeling that Qrow knew what was going on, especially when a pale hand gripped his wrist and slowly started pulling him backwards. 

“What’s going on?” Tai still hadn’t shifted back, large crystal blue eyes watching their every movement.

“You need to make a choice.” Qrow kept his voice as low as Clover had, eyes still on the alpha. “We were going to court you properly but we’re out of time now. I can smell another alpha on you, one that was on the verge of his rut and it’s put Tai on edge. Did he fight him?”

“Yea. To keep the alpha from taking me.” Clover had a good feeling he knew where Qrow was going with this and he swallowed hard at the thought.

“Thought so.” Qrow let out shuddering breathe, his grip tightening just slightly, enough that Clover felt it. “The fight set Tai off. He’s going into rut and you need to decide whether you want to be claimed or not by him. He’s been courting me so he’ll take me but he was fighting for _you_ so his instincts will tell him that you belong to him as well.” Qrow stopped, shifting his stance when the blond shifted down to a large humanoid dragon on the shoreline, placing himself between Tai and Clover until the avian had made up his mind. “I can draw him away if you want but you need to make it to your nest. It’s the one place he won’t go. Not even in rut.”

Clover watched as Tai took a step towards them, tall and broad and shimmering with scales in his half form, as Qrow walked closer and planted himself between them, as Tai snatched up the mer who looked so, so small in his clawed hands. Teal eyes widened when he saw just what Qrow was willing to take on alone if he wasn’t ready and he wondered if the mer had known what he was getting into. Clover certainly hadn’t. Not until he saw both the erections weeping for attention. Tai carried Qrow towards where his resting chamber was, pausing to look over at Clover, obviously struggling with his instincts versus his knowledge of what was right. 

Clover took a step forward, then another and another, until he was within arms reach of Tai. Qrow watched him, looking relieved and grateful as he allowed the dragon to lift him as well. The large alpha carried them both into the chamber, laying them out on his bed. Clover started when he felt a relatively small hand slip behind him to start prepping him while Tai kissed him and after a moment to adjust he reached behind Qrow to return the favor. He could feel his body trying to adjust in two different directions due to being with both Qrow and Tai but the rut pheromones that were being put out by the alpha was making his biology shift more towards omega. He was more than a little grateful for it, especially when Tai laid back and pulled them both over him, his hands on Qrow’s hips to steady him and his tail around Clover’s waist for the same purpose. Blown red eyes stared at him as the pale hand gripped his shoulder, tightening as they were lowered onto Tai. He leaned forward, taking Qrow’s mouth in a kiss as they were breached, each ridge on the two members shaking them to their core. 

Clover lost track of everything from there as the fever of their heat took over in response to Tai rut, clinging to Qrow as the only stable thing in his world as the rest of it trembled, rocked, _quaked_ with each powerful thrust of Tai’s hips up into them. By the time everything had settled, both of them trapped on the knots inside them, he knew he had two mating bites on his neck, one on each side. He could feel the bond between them, fragile and powerful at the same time, binding them in a way nothing else ever could. It wasn’t over, not yet, but as he shared a tired smile with Qrow, Clover knew the two of them together could get Tai through this.


End file.
